New WSB schedule and qualifying format for 2014

The World Superbike Commission have announced a major reshuffle to the weekend calendar for 2014, with races moving closer in the day to each other and superpole being reworked to match the MotoGP format introduced for 2013.

The Sunday schedule will be shortened for next year, with the four races for the three championships (Superbike, Supersport and Superstock) now being run in a four hour window from 1030 to 1430.

In an attempt to avoid clashes with other major sporting events while matching the MotoGP schedule, this means that the day’s racing will be finished much earlier than the current format. Under the old system, second WSB races traditionally started at 1530 local time, so the new schedule will shorten the day by up to two hours.

Furthermore, Superpole will be changed to a system that “will be inspired by the MotoGP ones (with a number of participants directly qualified in Q2).” The new format, introduced in MotoGP to give lower qualifying teams a chance for TV time, has been suggested as a move by series controllers Dorna to create a matching set of rules across the board.

The Commission has also announced that WSB will see the introduction to the penalty points introduced into MotoGP this year, and, in a change that will also affect MotoGP, points will remain with a rider for a full twelve calendar months instead of until the end of the season.